‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ Gay Dialogue Removed in China, Warner Bros. Says ‘Spirit of the Film Remains’
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
References to a gay relationship in “ Fantastic Beasts : The Secrets of Dumbledore” were edited out of the movie by Warner Bros. for the film’s release in China. Only six seconds of the movie’s 142-minute runtime were removed. Dialogue that was edited out alluded to the romantic past between male characters Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen). “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling revealed Dumbledore was gay in 2009, but the movies had never explicitly referenced the character’s sexuality until this third “Fantastic Beasts” entry.
Warner Bros. accepted China’s request to remove six seconds from the movie. The dialogue lines “because I was in love with you” and “the summer Gellert and I fell in love” were cut from “The Secrets of Dumbledore” release (via News.com.au ). The rest of the film remained intact, including an understanding that Dumbledore and Grindelwald share an intimate bond.
“As a studio, we’re committed to safeguarding the integrity of every film we release, and that extends to circumstances that necessitate making nuanced cuts in order to respond sensitively to a variety of in-market factors,” Warner Bros. said in a statement to Variety . “Our hope is to release our features worldwide as released by their creators but historically we have faced small edits made in local markets.”
“In the case of ‘ Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore ,’ a six-second cut was requested and Warner Bros. accepted those changes to comply with local requirements but the spirit of the film remains intact,” the statement added. “We want audiences everywhere in the world to see and enjoy this film, and it’s important to us that Chinese audiences have the opportunity to experience it as well, even with these minor edits.”
As reported by Variety , “The Secrets of Dumbledore” won the box office race in China during its opening weekend. The sequel opened in China on April 8, a week ahead of the film’s April 15 launch in the U.S. “The Secrets of Dumbledore” earned RMB62.2 million ($9.7 million at current exchange rates) over its first three days, giving it a huge 63% market share on a weekend worth just $15.5 million.
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What XI says jump, Hollywood says "How High?"
So much for their moral outrage over the Florida law.
So, if they will delete sexual deviance for China, why are they dumping the perversion of what was intended on us?
Surely American capitalism encourages making as much money as possible in whatever legal way is available. And if it's such a big problem for you that American corporations comply with the rules of other nations if they want to go there, bitching about it here is useless. Send your complaint to Xi Jinping, telling him that if he doesn't comply perfectly with what America says his 5000 year old culture should do you'll go to China and beat him up.
Buzz, if China is too sensitive and bigoted to deal with six seconds of a movie referencing homosexuality that’s China’s Problem.
I agree, if china wants to live like it’s 5,OOO years ago, that’s their right. I get there’s no room for anything other than pro Russian propaganda on the CCP’s plate right now, so a reference to homosexuality would probably cause an overload of illegal thought.
the [point,deleted,] is the hypocrisy of multi national corporations that are more than happy to do business with the most barbaric, repressive regimes while simultaneously posturing as human rights activists in the USA.
... too bad very few rwnj homophobes speak chinese.
China hates the gays but America loves Chinese cash. Our politicians love China cash.
Desantis said this last month, before the latest kow tow to China:
“You have companies, like at Disney, that are going to say and criticize parents’ rights, they’re going to criticize the fact that we don’t want transgenderism in kindergarten, in first-grade classrooms,” he added. “If that’s the hill they’re going to die on, then how do they possibly explain lining their pockets with their relationship from the Communist Party of China? Because that’s what they do, and they make a fortune, and they don’t say a word about the really brutal practices that you see over there at the hands of the CCP.”
Various companies have to do stuff like this all the time. It’s fine. We can’t control every society in the world.
It’s not as if they were made to put some anti-LGBT language. They just removed the pro language. It’s a reminder, though, of how much more protection speech has in the United States.
What gets me is a whole six seconds...
You know that with the population of China there is plenty of gay people. Hell, instead of enacting one child laws, promote homosexuality.
(Just a joke)
Could you imagine the job watching foreign films just looking for certain language and speech...
What a dumb thing to be afraid of. Imagine being such a giant pussy that you can’t stand to have 6 positive seconds for a gay character in a movie.
As long as we aren’t Christian and or conservative on big tech social media…
Big tech social media is privately owned.
Which is why we must go all in in support of Musk in his bid for Twitter. I bought some more of Twitter this weekend that will execute at 6:30 am my time. If it ever gets to shareholders I’ll support Musk and make money if he wins. If not then I’ll join the sell to trash it’s stock value and write it off against capital gains. Should be an interesting ride. I only wish I was still in the middle class so that I could buy more and faster .
Who is advocating that we try to control every country in the world? I’m not sure how refusing to censor a movie would count as “trying to control” a country.
Disney could always say no. But money talks and principals walk when it comes to Disney
Directly? No one. But I appreciate that there are people who think Disney - or whoever - should stand firm and “make” China take their movie as-is. What I’m saying is that’s never going to work. As much as we might want a country like China to be more open and just, we can’t force that change.
Lookit, whose standing up for "hollywood principles" now! My, my. Makes you wonder if Florida's republican governor just stood Disney World 'up' on a "Don't Say Gay" law or not! China on my left, Florida on my right, and here I am stuck in the middle with Dumbledore.
Credit to original song lyrics: Stuck in the Middle with You sung by Stealers Wheel
Disney bows down before the tyrant butcher of Peking and gives in to whatever they want while the go to the mat to fight Americans who are not even remotely as controlling as the CCP is on that issue. Their priorities are clear.
Is this a new movie ?
Yes it is, just released.
To be fully transparent here, Disney has been doing this for a long time. Try to find a copy of Song of the South, or try to find it on Disney+.
sorry, but Disney taking a few seconds of dialog out of a movie for a specific country is not a hill I would pick to die on. Hollywood has been doing this for a very long time in order to get their movies into more countries and make more money from ticket sales.
No, it’s the reality of Disney and how it operates in China compared to how they deal with Americans who also disagree with Disney. The poor people of Shanghai…
NO one wants to make that big a deal out of it. Simply pointing out the hypocrisy of Disney’s double standard and subjecting them to some image damaging public shaming and ridicule over it and moving on…
I can understand that but I think you would also need to point out the hypocrisy coming out of almost all Hollywood movie makers. The act of editing films for overseas markets has been going on for a great many years. Sometimes as the country in question would not understand an inside joke (Demolition Man and Taco Bell being the only restaurant to survive the franchise wars) to the remake of Red Dawn (to remove Russia as the bad guys). They do it to make money which IMO is why Disney removed those few seconds of film and at the same time do not talk about the "re-education camps" that are hosting among others the Uygur's. Coke did the same thing when they supported pulling the MLB All-Stars game from Georgia while not bitching about what China is doing. China is the second largest economy in 2021 and these companies are not gonna cut their own throats over something as basic as human rights or doing what's right, to them all that matters is the bottom line.
You can call it hypocrisy but they don't see it that way and I doubt if they even care what you think. So long as the masses will continue to shovel money at them they will continue to do what they have been doing all along.
You pick your 'battles.' Hot and cold are matters of degrees. Not all situations are the same. And sometimes you can farther ahead by getting along. Any of this make sense in here? Pass the popcorn bag!
While I don't like Censoring Movies for certain markets I can't blame the companies for complying since it is a small change. What's I find a lot worse is Studios, Sports, and Others who censor what their American Employees on American Soil can say or support during their personal time in order to comply with the CCP's demands.
I really wish that Americans would come to realize that they are a minority in a world of almost 8 billion people and what's good for General Bullmoose isn't necessarily what's good for the whole world. Different strokes for different folks.
Decades ago, I realized that what’s good for the DOTW is good for the world.
"It's all about me" - The Narcissist's Motto...
I’m sorry that my sarcasm wasn’t self evident to you.
And therefore what? We should never celebrate or broadcast our own values and beliefs? Why? Just because others think differently? Why is it everyone else gets to have a rich culture worth celebrating, but Americans are supposed to keep silent?
I am sorry my sincerity was not clear to you...
I haven’t doubted your sincerity.
Who's stopping you from celebrating your "EXCEPTIONALISM"? The problem is when you interfere with and demonize others and try to impose your values where they're not wanted.
I didn’t say anything about exceptionalism. All I said was that Americans have a right to their beliefs just like anyone else. I wouldn’t think that would be controversial, but you have decided you need to lecture Americans about the fact that not everyone is like them on a seed that isn’t even about that. In any event, we already know peoples and countries are different and we don’t need your lecturing on the matter.
America, in fact, has a long history of diversity and celebrates that diversity. So, I think we’re pretty comfortable with the idea that not everybody thinks the same.
That could be a problem if anyone did it. I don’t know why you think America is doing that or why you apparently imagine that only America is doing it. I suspect it’s not based in anything real. Hence your need to resort to name-calling like “General Bullmoose” whatever that’s supposed to mean.
Let me try to simplify this for you. I don't believe in proselytizing, i.e. trying to push one's religion onto others (and we have the odd member on NT who sure skirts it), and as well I don't believe that nations should try to push their values onto other nations that have a different culture. My reference to General Bullmoose is allegorical - I guess the cartoon character is before your time. (LINK) ->
You proselytize here. All the time. It doesn’t need to be about religion. It can be about anything you believe.
I’ll believe that when you stop supporting China.
When he might have been popular was pretty much beside the point.
Well, not actually. Republicans walk in 'sameness' and the party wholeheartedly reject [real]diversity. Just look at the current political state of affairs in our country. Turmoil. Despair. Aggrieved voters everywhere. Don't have many choices, because of the lack of fairness, lack of reasonableness, and domination tactics and strategies of the conservatives.
So, even though I fully respect that you are in an "A" and "B" thread with Buzz, I feel I have no choice but to thrust this "two-cents" in, and in support of what Buzz wrote. China's perspective on leadership may not be akin to our own democratic actions, policies, and governing worldview-but who is to say it does not go well overall or in the high percentages range for a country with entirely "humongous" city population centers and its own governing worldview That is, how does China stack up with other communist countries from two distinct perspectives? Their own critical judgement and the western world's judgement of communist nations.
Oh you can always find something wrong. You can always find that the reality falls short of the ideal. But, at least we have the ideal!
Our ideal is that we celebrate diversity. E Pluribus Unum. China has no such ideal. The reality is that wherever there is diversity, there is conflict. China seeks stability through rigid control of a homogeneous population. Anyone who doesn’t conform will be made to. Just ask a Uyghur - or rather you could, but the government won’t let you.
I see your point. But let's be fair. I "preach" about the shortcomings of our country, putting its hands to the task of liberties, freedoms, and justice for all - and then, conservatives doing everything in their collective power to bend those liberties, justices, and freedoms to their worldview, exclusive and uncompromising of whole swaths of our diverse citizenship. If we want to tell others how to behave and conduct themselves, ought we to be far and above in our own displays of 'modeling'?
I do not live in China, indeed I have never been to China, so I do not dare to speak to its conventions. Buzz, lives there. He is attempting to convey a sense of the place and a set of experiences he is having in real time, in my opinion. That should and does have validity—should mean something. Unless, we have disreputable evidence to the contrary. That is, we simply can not go around telling people what they know and know about is "nuh-uh" based on remote political ideology and disinformation. For we all know there are always two perspectives either both right; both wrong; or a mixture of both!
I will back out now, if allowed.
If you want to put that ultra-broad meaning to the word, then we ALL do, including you.
I really don't give a damn what you believe or don't believe.
You questioned my use of it, I simply indicated a probable reason why you had to.
Oh sure, the Chinese people are all clones of each other, physically and mentally. Maybe that's where the saying that all Chinese people look alike came from.
There are more than 30 different ethnic minorities in China, each with their own unique customs and lifestyles - some homogeneity I have personally visited with a few different ones, so I know. As well, doesn't anyone wonder why out of 11 million Uyghurs, only about 1 million are detained? I mean, if the Uyghur Muslims are not permitted to live normal lives, why aren't ALL of them detained? Is it so beyond the mentality of so many to question that, or is it just so much easier and fruitful to just automatically demonize?
Dreamer.
This is not the first time I have seen you try to use this straw man to pretend you are a victim of racism. I said “China” not “Chinese people” and my comment specifically referenced the government. But hey, if you have to lie to stay in the conversation, that tells us all we need to know.
I am sure members of each of those groups have migrated to the United States, where they would all be known as “Chinese-Americans.” So, is it 30 groups or 1? What defines an “ethnic group” can vary wildly from one place to another.
Just look at all the people who freely classify people as “white” or “European” with no regard for the ethnic differences among English, Welsh, Scot, Gael, Celt, Dutch, Belgian, Frisian, Flemish, Irish, Northern Irish, Walloons, Germans, Croats, Serbs, Slovaks, Moravians, Catalans, Danes, Faroese, Swedes, Fins, Bretons, Occitans, Corsicans, Poles, Albanians, Greeks, Italians, Hungarians, and I mean I am just scratching the MFing surface. Doesn’t keep those who play the victim card from going on and on about the monolithic “white people.”
Only a million? That makes it ok?
And “detained?” Detained? When you have to wait 5 minutes at the airport for Security to poke through your luggage, that’s being “detained.” What China is doing is way beyond “detained.” They are building prison camps. About 85 of them. If you’re allowed to read the BBC, here’s a story on it:
Who are the Uyghurs and why is China being accused of genocide?
It’s hard to justify this:
China forcing birth control on Uighurs to suppress population, report says
But it’s not just about Uyghurs.
Religions must be 'subordinate' to Communist Party, says China
And from what I read, only 5 religions are officially allowed anyway. Then there’s this:
Being Gay in China Has Gotten Harder Under Xi Jinping
I’d post videos, but you can’t get YouTube, right? Guess why that is?
You used the word "homogenous", and what do you think that means. You are saying all Chinese people are alke.
It could if they are all either terrorists, separatists, religious fanatics or on the way to being such.
Once again, I suggest you read a dictionary before you question my use of a word.
As for being "detained" some may be imprisoned, some may be in reeducation camps.
It doesn't matter if I can't open to read or hear and see unless it's with my own eyes when the sources like BBC that are known to intentionally demonize China or get their info from others like the bullshit that the Christian zealot rabid anti-Communist Adrian Zenz invents or others who are out to do whatever they can to destroy China. Anyway, you've probably never been to China so your two eyes have never seen the truth about China. Therefore I really don't see any purpose in continuing with this dialogue so I'm willing to agree to disagree and leave it at that.
Oh, and what I forgot to say is that you INTENTIONALLY ignored the point that the vast majority of Uyghurs live their normal lives and are NOT "detained" by deflecting to a definition. Nice try, but no cigar.
A million terrorists? OK! You really believe that? Women and children, as well? Really?!
You clearly don’t understand what freedom is when you say it’s ok to imprison someone who is a religious fanatic or on their way to being one.
Again, you think it’s ok to lock someone up to “Re-educate” them. What’s worse is you even buy the propaganda that it’s merely “education.” How horrible.
BBC is a WIDELY respected source in the free world. But here, the source doesn’t even matter. You actually acknowledge some of the atrocities and you think it’s just fine.
Add in the atrocities the genocidal regime is committing in Shanghai….
You are so clever in the manner in which you misquote a person in order to insult them, Tacos1.
I said the million could be "terrorists, separatists, religious fanatics or on the way to being such" and you misquoted me by saying "A million terrorists? OK! You really believe that?"
I said some may be in "re-education camps" for religious fanatics and you misquoted me by saying I think it's okay that they're locked up. Did I say they were locked up? Did I say I thought it was ok that they were locked up? I don't see those words but you put them in my mouth, didn't you. "Vas you dere, Charley" (Baron Munchausen) so you KNOW that the re-education camps are prisons? How do you know? Oh, you READ about it. Adrian Zenz has a lot of disciples. I was aware of how biased the BBC was decades ago.
If it's true that I "buy the propaganda that it’s merely “education," then YOU buy the propaganda that it's rape and torture and sterilizations and slavery. I appreciate that you may be unaware that America and its allies (supported by the media) will do whatever propaganda it takes including misinformation, disinformation, demonization, bannings, sanctions, forming groups of alliances to pressure China, all for the purpose of containing it and preventing it from becoming so influencial in the rest of the world (without using CIA tactics or military encounters) that it just might surpass the "glory" of America, but try as you might, you can't change what is inevitable by attacking me.
I do not intend to continue with this insulting dialogue and any reply by you will earn either an IMPASSE or be flagged as a CoC offence.
LOL You might gain more respect for your comments if you stuck with that which you actually know about.
I’m sorry that my sarcasm wasn’t self evident to you.
What is self evident is what you have admitted. That being, you get your jollies basically fucking with me because you are bored by your longterm illness and a difficult recovery and painful recuperation.
I'm sorry that you feel fucked with.
Gotta say, I am trying to watch The Crimes Of Grindelwald one.
I am completely lost....
Freedom fries was a politically motivated renaming for French fries in the United States. The term was created in February 2003 in a North Carolina restaurant, and was widely publicized a month later when the then Republican Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, Bob Ney, renamed the menu item in three Congressional cafeterias. The political renaming occurred in context of France's opposition to the proposed invasion of Iraq. . . . . On March 11, 2003, Republican U.S. Representatives Bob Ney and Walter B. Jones directed the three House cafeterias to change all references to French fries and French toast on menus, and replace them with Freedom fries and Freedom toast,
-Wikipedia (speedy reference source.)
Freedom fries, anyone?
'Cause everything old is new again':
During WWI sauerkraut became “Liberty Cabbage”, hamburger was called “Liberty Steak” , Frankfurters were renamed “Liberty Sausage”, before they became plain old hot dogs.
It's all a bit pretentious, isn't it? When people don't choose to understand (or remember) "how comes" and "why fors." A billion people can not be ignored on simplistic grounds. Pick your batttles, there is wisdom in doing so. It may be the reason we have some validity when the real moments of needing China's support comes around. Scratch China's back with a pleasing movie, and it potentially owe us one to pay bay at a later date.
It's all a bit pretentious, isn't it?
Indeed it is.
LOL. I remember when Americans did the "Freedom Fries" thing. In Canada we almost pissed our pants laughing so hard at such childishness.
It was brutally childish. And a foreshadowing of the conservative party today! Sold on themselves as the reason for the surrounding world to exist. It is a lie. I won't help conservatives perpetuate such delusions of grandeur and wickedness. Yes, you can concoct and carry out a great amount of violence when you accept delusions as a way of life! Some of the 'shit' conservatives are telling themselves is making their collective 'mind' sociopathic.
Remember McCarthyism. It ran amock! It caused "damages" to our society. And delusional conservatives were willing to 'go there' simply because they could not agree to share power with other political sorts! Thus, their imaginations exploded with communists and socialists everywhere. And they are on the cusp of doing something similar again.
Yes, I remember McCarthyism - it destroyed the lives of many good Americans. I'm sad to say there are some McCarthyites who post on thenewstalkers these days as well. I consider proselytizing Christians more dangerous than Communists, but then, even though I am not (and have never been) a Communist I'm not at all afraid of them or even uncomfortable with them.
Proselytizing Christians are not really the problem. Many Christians are nice people at heart and in spirit. It's narrower and more focused. Conservatives are even splitting apart (and telling on each other), because some of them still have a sense of right and wrong. And clearly don't want to be delusional or even appear to be so. Those elite conservatives don't think their opposing parties are communists or socialists either, at least not the smart conservatives still within the fold, but it is a good ploy to keep the remaining conservative cohesion through distraction and group mesmerization.
Please realize that I did not say "Christians", I said "proselytizing Christians", i.e. those who feel that their beliefs are so superior that they are duty-bound to convert others to their fold. I do not disrespect Christians and Christianity generally.
Hi Buzz, we might disagree-mildly or strongly-on the proselytizing aspect of religion. As a Christian, I have experienced it and possibly have tried to 'deliver' prospects to my faith. Because I really, sincerely, believe/d I have found something good to share with others. That said, after watching the misery and (I am going to call it out now) the lack of sincerity from Right-wing evangelicals, who do not keep their vile lies in-house but export it to the secular world, I am disgusted with them, personally.
Not every innocent proselytizer is a pejorative 'piece of work.' Many mean well, have the best interest of humanity in mind, and would not harm a fly. But, these Trump conservatives are indecent and will figuratively and literally take the rights and liberties of others away as an act of greed and selfish gratification. As God is my witness- I shall not support that kind of conversion ideology or effort!